Plant Dossier: Lily of the Bog
“It was my third day in the Jobbaco Swamp… bloody miserable. I was to hunt down a coven of green hags that had taken up shop deep within. Tricky bunch, they were. The mosquitos and mud were oppressive. But I swear, the smell of those flowers ringing the hag’s hut were worse than the ladies themselves.” — Elassia Volgenshire
Type: Flower (bulb)
Where to Find: Swamps, bogs, cesspools, swales. Comfortable range: 73° - 92° F
Distinguishing Features: White petals with mottled green and orange centers
_____________________
Putrid Petals
The dreaded lily of the bog is a distant relative of the lily of the valley. Like its counterpart, lily of the bog grow in clusters of small flowers, are primarily white in color, and spread rapidly. The similarities end there for the lily of the bog is further adorned with green and orange colors near the center of the bulb-like flowers. Additionally, each bulb has 4-7 bright orange stamen. These stamen are responsible for the flower’s most distinctive feature: its odor. Like other plants such as the corpse flower, lily of the bog emits a putrid rotting scent that attracts biting insects. Horrendously, clusters of lily of the bog plants often grow around puddles of standing water, making the air above the plants buzz in dark clouds of mating mosquitos.
Ranger conclaves and druidic circles have tales on the origin of lily of the bog. In these excerpts of folklore, a pair of women live an idyllic and romantic life together far removed outside any city or town. In their happy union the couple was unaware of a looming flood sweeping its way towards their homestead. While both the couple and their home survived the flood, one was stricken by pneumonia. With their home surrounded by water, it took many days until help could be sought. Eventually, a doctor was found— but far too late. The woman passed away quietly in their homestead. The legend says that the grief and woe of her partner was so great that the flood never fully drained away, the waters now corrupt from death, sickness, and tears. Now an abandoned swamp, the flowers themselves withered and rotted into lilies of the bog.
This story has never been verified and is claimed to be false by most scholars; with some even saying it is harmful rhetoric related to hags. This may be because hags and other mire-dwelling creatures tend to use lily of the bog around their dwellings to deter intruders. Regardless of the tale’s truth, the sickly miasma of these flowers cannot be understated.
_____________________
Gameplay Effects
Lily of the bog may be extracted by succeeding in a DC 10 Nature check.
Spell Component. Lily of the bog may be used as a spell component for the Stinking Cloud spell.
Pungent. Lily of the bog emits a harsh and noticeable odor in a 5 ft. square around it.
Potion Ingredient. Lily of the Bog may be used with an Herbalism Kit to make a Potion of Poison. Follow the magic-item crafting rules on pages 128 + 129 of the DMG.
